Futura: A Novella

Futura follows the story of Ruby- an ex-pat living in 2050 Paris. Paris is under a dome to preserve its Nouveau Nouveau architecture, Invisibles (AI) are the framework for society and are the “blue collar’ workers. Humans have a Universal Basic Income so work is no longer a priority but just a means to pay for indulgences, genetically engineered babies are the norm as are air taxis and virtual reality experiences.

We follow Ruby as she yearns to have a baby- to create a human life that is the stark contrast of Paris- imperfect and unpredictable. We can use Ruby’s journey in wanting to conceive as a protest against the perfection and the obsession to be authentic. In 2050 Paris where everything is acceptable and AI is the pillar of society- human emotions become the determining factor between what is real and what is fantasy. Every emotion is accepted and people are free to express them in public without judgement. As one of the characters in the book proclaims “it’s as though every human emotion is rewarded.”

Throughout the book Ruby explores what it means to live in the present- to be mindful. Human life becomes meaningless as every emotion and act is accepted as a human liberty. For Ruby, conceiving a baby is a natural process-not from a virtual source but from the purest source, LOVE, which is something that can not be dehumanized.

Futura ponders some important existential questions. If in our current society we are encouraging the expression of emotions and authenticity, what will our future look like? Will everything become accepted to the point that no morals and values will be considered? If everything is created artificially, does creation even exist?

A short but powerful read that will leave you feeling both unnerved and mindful.

**A copy of this novella was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Futura was brought to my attention and while it was outside my normal realm of reading, I was intrigued by it's premise and what it may offer.

The novella follows the story of a girl living in 2050 Paris. She has aspirations that are unlike what most have during these futuristic times in a world where everything is perfect, the human is, for the most part, unneeded but quite enjoyed at the same time. Life seems ideal. However Ruby, the girl, dreams of things that are not typical for humans anymore and that leads to issues in her life and can have repercussions into the future.

While the premise of this story was good, and I'd love to read this as a full novel, I feel like it was too much in too little time. The story moved very fast to the point of confusion. I would expect a novella to be a snippet of someone's life or a portion of a bigger story, even if you don't know the bigger story. Futura took place over an extended period of time and was multiple portions of a Ruby's life. It was very hard to follow at times. The story is definitely interesting, and like I said, I would really enjoy reading this as a longer story with more of the filler information that would smooth out the confusion and missing tidbits.

This is definitely for those who like sci-fi and fast pace stories. It's also for the lovers of dystopian stories, but this is almost a reversal on the typical story, with a more happy future. Check it out for yourself and let us know what you think. I give three stars because I did enjoy the story, I just wish there was more cohesion and information to fill the gaps.

Goodreads Synopsis:
By the year 2050, Paris is a stark contrast from other large cities, which had long ago morphed into ultramodern metropolises, where every new building was practically a city within a city. Even in France, humans cannot escape the fact that the Invisibles have taken over. Some come in the form of microscopic chips that are embedded practically everywhere, while others are more visible because they power robots. Humans were suddenly underutilized, and they would be forever.

Past futurists had cried that this would be disorienting and depressing, but it turned out to be quite liberating. Human qualities—good and bad—are tolerated because they are authentic, and not artificially created. To err is to be human, and these days, to be human is to be beautiful.

Futura follows a single American woman named Ruby as she figures out how to thrive in a dramatically different cultural landscape. This utopian novella pushes back on the cynical views many hold today. Instead, author Jordan Phillips has imagined a bright future for the entire human race.

My Review:
This book is very short, and I don't have much to say about the cover, but I really enjoyed reading it. Ruby didn't want kids, until one day she did. It destroyed her relationship, and thus begins the rest of her life. Everyone around her in this futuristic Paris has already had kids, or have chosen not to have kids permanently. She stayed in Paris while Yul, her partner, moved on to other things.

Clean air has become a luxury, and that's why five years ago Paris was enclosed in a climate controlled transparent done. It offers an excellent quality of live for those who choose to live there, and the trip of a lifetime for tourists. Although other cities couldn't function when their systems went down, Paris feels peaceful when unplugged. No one cares about gender or skin colour or style anymore, just human and non human, meaning AI. They're called the invisible, because they mostly don't have bodies. They can't think, but they can sense and process, which is almost the same thing, right?

I really liked this book, and I finished it in one sitting. It took less than an hour to read, and I don't regret it at all. I feel like deep down, this book is about finding happiness and fulfilling your goals no matter what your age or what problems you may come across. Also that it doesn't matter if your last relationships weren't going so well, you'll find one that's good for you eventually. It's a lot different than others I've read lately, and I'm glad I got the chance to read it. Definitely check it out if you get the chance.

Here's a link to the book on Amazon, and another link to the authors twitter.

https://www.amazon.ca/Futura-Novella-Jordan-Phillips-ebook/dp/B078WWBBDB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522089314&sr=8-1&keywords=Futura+jordan+phillips

https://twitter.com/jphillipsny?lang=en

Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
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